By Richie Murray
Ventura, California (November 11, 2022)โฆโฆโฆA spectacular field of 50-plus USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship drivers have announced their intentions to compete in the 81st running of the 98-lap ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix on Saturday, November 26, at Californiaโs Ventura Raceway.
At press time, 54 cars are entered for the Agajanian Promotions event at Jim Naylor’s Venturaโs 1/5-mile seaside dirt oval, including two past Turkey Night Grand Prix midget winners. Logan Seavey (Sutter, Calif.) comes in as the defending race victor from 2021 while Tanner Thorson (Minden, Nev.) captured the event win in 2015.
Seavey (2018) and Thorson (2016) are two of the five past USAC National Midget champions in the lineup along with Lebanon, Indianaโs Spencer Bayston (2017), Indianapolis, Indianaโs Tyler Courtney (2019) and Penngrove, Californiaโs Buddy Kofoid (2021). Recently crowned USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Champion Justin Grant (Ione, Calif.) will be gunning for his first Turkey Night victory.
All the aforementioned drivers have captured USAC National Midget feature wins in their career and are among the 17 drivers whoโve tallied series feature wins. Those seeking a first Turkey Night Grand Prix score include 2022 series winners Cannon McIntosh (Bixby, Okla.), Jacob Denney (Galloway, Ohio), Mitchel Moles (Raisin City, Calif.) and Ryan Timms (Oklahoma City, Okla.).
International racing standout Michael Pickens (Auckland, N.Z.) can count himself in the group of USAC National Midget feature winners in the Turkey Night field along with Corey Day (Clovis, Calif.), Kevin Thomas Jr. (Cullman, Ala.), Shane Golobic (Fremont, Calif.), Emerson Axsom (Franklin, Ind.), Jason McDougal (Broken Arrow, Okla.) and Daison Pursley (Locust Grove, Okla.).
Furthermore, a trio of USAC Western States Midget champions will take on the national stars, a list of consisting of Hanford, Californiaโs Michael Faccinto (2018 & 2022), Brentwood, Californiaโs Blake Bower (2021) and Downey, Californiaโs Steve Paden (2003).
Last yearโs members of an all-female front row will return to the Turkey Night lineup this year โ pole winner Kaylee Bryson (Muskogee, Okla.) and outside front row starter Taylor Reimer (Bixby, Okla.). Additionally, 2016 USAC National Midget Rookie of the Year Carson Macedo (Lemoore, Calif.) is back in the seat of a midget after scoring a series-high 11 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car wins in 2022.
Day, Denney and Bower are in the mix for the Don Basile Rookie of the Race award, which, thus far, encompasses 23 drivers. The award was captured in 2021 by third-place finisher Mitchel Moles. The most recent Rookie driver to win the Turkey Night Grand Prix is Warren Mockler in 1986 โ 36 years ago.
RACE DETAILS:
The ARP Turkey Night Grand Prix officially gets underway on Friday night, November 25, with racing action from the USAC West Coast / VRA Sprint Cars as well as USAC Midget practice.
On Friday and Saturday, the pits open at 11am Pacific with the drivers meeting at 2:30pm, the grandstands opening at 3pm and cars on track at 3:30pm.
Fridayโs tickets are $22 for adult general admission, $18 for Senior/Military/Students and free for children under 12. Pit passes are $45 apiece for members and $50 for non-members.
On Saturday, all tickets that are not reserved are $35. Reserved seats are $45 for ages 13 and older and $25 for ages 12 and under. Pit passes are $45 for members and $50 for non-members.
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TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX ENTRY LIST: (54 ENTRIES)
00 ยฎJAKE ANDREOTTI/Castro Valley, CA (Pete Davis)
01 BRYANT WIEDEMAN/Colby, KS (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
08 CANNON McINTOSH/Bixby, OK (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
08x MICHAEL PICKENS/Auckland, NZ (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
1EM TBA (NP Motorsports)
1NP ยฎTERRY NICHOLS/Delano, CA (NP Motorsports)
1x ยฎA.J. BENDER/San Diego, CA (LKK Motorsports)
2J JUSTIN GRANT/Ione, CA (RMS Racing)
3v ยฎJIM VANZANT/Prescott, AZ (Jim Vanzant)
4 ยฎJAKE HODGES/Camarillo, CA (Jake Hodges)
4x ยฎCOREY DAY/Clovis, CA (Willie Kahne)
5K BEN WORTH/Coalinga, CA (Dean Alexander)
5T KEVIN THOMAS JR./Cullman, AL (Dean Alexander)
7NZ ยฎTRAVIS BUCKLEY/Auckland, NZ (BSL Racing)
8 RANDI PANKRATZ/Atascadero, CA (Wally Pankratz)
8w ยฎKALEB MONTGOMERY/Templeton, CA (Woodland Autosports)
9 ยฎBLAKE BOWER/Brentwood, CA (Tony Boscacci)
9AU SPENCER BAYSTON/Lebanon, IN (Dyson Motorsport)
11K ยฎNATHAN BYRD/Goodyear, AZ (Kruseman Motorsports)
14J MICHAEL FACCINTO/Hanford, CA (Graunstadt Enterprises)
14T DYLAN BLOOMFIELD/Oakley, CA (Graunstadt Enterprises)
17B ยฎAUSTIN BARNHILL/Wilmington, NC (Dave Mac Dalby Motorsports)
17w SHANE GOLOBIC/Fremont, CA (Matt Wood Racing)
19 ยฎALEX BRIGHT/Collegeville, PA (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
19AZ ยฎHAYDEN REINBOLD/Gilbert, AZ (Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports)
20 C.J. SARNA/Palm Desert, CA (C.J. Sarna)
22G ยฎZACH TELFORD/Middleton, ID (GR Motorsports)
25 TYLER COURTNEY/Indianapolis, IN (Tom Malloy)
25K TAYLOR REIMER/Bixby, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
25m ยฎJACOB DENNEY/Galloway, OH (Tom Malloy)
25x EMERSON AXSOM/Franklin, IN (Tom Malloy)
26 CHANCE CRUM/Snohomish, WA (Rudeen Racing)
45 ยฎJOEY BISHOP/Camarillo, CA (Bishop Motorsports)
51 ยฎBRODY FUSON/Bakersfield, CA (Rusty Carlile)
56 STEVE PADEN/Downey, CA (Steve Paden)
57 ยฎDANIEL WHITLEY/Ferndale, CA (Abacus Racing)
57x ยฎSTEVE HIX/Ventura, CA (Steve Hix)
58 LOGAN SEAVEY/Sutter, CA (Abacus Racing)
67 BUDDY KOFOID/Penngrove, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
68 JASON McDOUGAL/Broken Arrow, OK (Six8 Motorsports)
71 KAYLEE BRYSON/Muskogee, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71E ยฎMARIAH EDE/Fresno, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71K ยฎDOMINIC GORDEN/Clovis, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71m ยฎCADE LEWIS/Bakersfield, CA (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
71p DAISON PURSLEY/Locust Grove, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
73 JAKE SWANSON/Anaheim, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
73x CHASE JOHNSON/Penngrove, CA (Josh Ford Motorsports)
84 JADE AVEDISIAN/Clovis, CA (CB Industries)
86 ยฎJONATHAN BEASON/Broken Arrow, OK (CB Industries)
88 TANNER THORSON/Minden, NV (Tanner Thorson Racing)
89 MITCHEL MOLES/Raisin City, CA (CB Industries)
97 BRENHAM CROUCH/Lubbock, TX (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
97K RYAN TIMMS/Oklahoma City, OK (Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports)
99AU CARSON MACEDO/Lemoore, CA (Dyson Motorsport)
ยฎ represents a Don Basile Rookie of the Race Contender
TURKEY NIGHT GRAND PRIX MIDGET WINNERS:
1934: Bob Swanson | Gilmore Stadium
1935: Ted Sizemore | Gilmore Stadium
1936: Ronney Householder | Gilmore Stadium
1937: Ronney Householder | Gilmore Stadium
1938: Bob Swanson | Gilmore Stadium
1939: Mel Hansen | Gilmore Stadium
1940: Roy Russing | Gilmore Stadium
1941: Roy Russing | Gilmore Stadium
1942: No Race
1943: No Race
1944: No Race
1945: Danny Oakes | Gilmore Stadium
1946: Perry Grimm | Gilmore Stadium
1947: Johnny McDowell | Gilmore Stadium
1948: Bill Vukovich | Gilmore Stadium
1949: Perry Grimm | Gilmore Stadium
1950: Bill Zaring | Gilmore Stadium
1951: No Race
1952: No Race
1953: No Race
1954: No Race
1955: Johnnie Parsons | Gardena Stadium
1956: Edgar Elder | Gardena Stadium
1957: George Amick | Gardena Stadium
1958: Joe Garson | Gardena Stadium
1959: Tony Bettenhausen | Gardena Stadium
1960: A.J. Foyt | Ascot Park
1961: A.J. Foyt | Ascot Park
1962: Billy Cantrell | Ascot Park
1963: Mel Kenyon | Ascot Park
1964: Parnelli Jones | Ascot Park
1965: Dick Atkins | Ascot Park
1966: Parnelli Jones | Ascot Park
1967: Gary Bettenhausen | Ascot Park
1968: Sammy Sessions | Ascot Park
1969: George Benson | Ascot Park
1970: Gary Bettenhausen | Ascot Park
1971: Billy Engelhart | Ascot Park
1972: Tony Simon | Ascot Park
1973: Billy Engelhart | Ascot Park
1974: Danny McKnight | Ascot Park
1975: Mel Kenyon | Speedway 605
1976: Bubby Jones | Ascot Park
1977: Gary Patterson | Ascot Park
1978: Rick Goudy | Ascot Park
1979: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1980: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1981: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1982: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1983: Kevin Olson | Ascot Park
1984: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1985: Brent Kaeding | Ascot Park
1986: Warren Mockler | Ascot Park
1987: Ron Shuman | Ascot Park
1988: Chuck Gurney | Ascot Park
1989: Chuck Gurney | Ascot Park
1990: Stan Fox | Ascot Park
1991: Stan Fox | Saugus Speedway
1992: Ron Shuman | Bakersfield Speedway
1993: Ron Shuman | Bakersfield Speedway
1994: Jordan Hermansader | Bakersfield Speedway
1995: Billy Boat | Bakersfield Speedway
1996: Billy Boat | Perris Auto Speedway
1997: Billy Boat | Ventura Raceway
1998: Jay Drake | Bakersfield Speedway
1999: Jason Leffler | Irwindale Speedway
2000: Tony Stewart | Irwindale Speedway
2001: Dave Steele | Irwindale Speedway
2002: Michael Lewis | Irwindale Speedway
2003: Dave Steele | Irwindale Speedway
2004: Bobby East | Irwindale Speedway
2005: Jason Leffler | Irwindale Speedway
2006: Billy Wease | Irwindale Speedway
2007: Dave Darland | Irwindale Speedway
2008: Bobby Santos | Irwindale Speedway
2009: Bryan Clauson | Irwindale Speedway
2010: Bryan Clauson | Irwindale Speedway
2011: Caleb Armstrong | Irwindale Speedway
2012: Kyle Larson | Perris Auto Speedway
2013: Dave Darland | Perris Auto Speedway
2014: Christopher Bell | Perris Auto Speedway
2015: Tanner Thorson | Perris Auto Speedway
2016: Kyle Larson | Ventura Raceway
2017: Christopher Bell | Ventura Raceway
2018: Christopher Bell | Ventura Raceway
2019: Kyle Larson | Ventura Raceway
2020: Not Held
2021: Logan Seavey | Ventura Raceway